A new friend on Facebook has contacted me expressing his desire to be baptized into the Orthodox Church. He is from Pakistan and has been a Catholic for many years. He told me that he contacted a Priest from the Syriac Orthodox Church but was refused (according to him)because of the conflict between India and Pakistan. Anyway, I told him I would try to find a Priest who might be willing to correspond with him and possibly catechize him. I think he is open to being baptized in any Non-Chalcedonian Church. His name is Javed. Please pray for him.

Thank you.

Selam

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""Love is a dangerous thing. It will crush you if you trust it. But without it you can never be whole. Love crucifies, but love saves. We will either be saved together with love, or damned alone without it." Selam, +GMK+

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

""Love is a dangerous thing. It will crush you if you trust it. But without it you can never be whole. Love crucifies, but love saves. We will either be saved together with love, or damned alone without it." Selam, +GMK+

Greetings Gebre, beloved. I would just like to say that it is the shame that a priest refuses the baptism to a man because of political reasons. I do not know if things are not more complicated than that. But I think, an Oriental church, being the kingdom of God, should not limit itself to ethnical, social, political borders, or others.

My advice: be careful in such situations. 9 times out of 10, the requests for money will commence soon. I have had that situation happen multiple times when being contacted by people from Pakistan, Africa, etc.

Anyone who knows me knows how missionary-minded I am, so that should frame the context of my cautionary warning and demonstrate I am not just being cynical.

My advice: be careful in such situations. 9 times out of 10, the requests for money will commence soon. I have had that situation happen multiple times when being contacted by people from Pakistan, Africa, etc.

Do you mean that you, as a clergyman, were asked to give money to them ?

He told me that he contacted a Priest from the Syriac Orthodox Church but was refused (according to him)because of the conflict between India and Pakistan.

1) Is Javed in Pakistan or is he in some foreign country? 2) Is the Syriac Orthodox Priest that he contacted based in India?3) Do you know if he is referring to a Syriac Orthodox Priest under the Patriarchate of Antioch or the Autocephalous Indian Orthodox Church, which also follows the Syriac liturgy and tradition?

If the Syriac Orthodox Priest is based in India, then I am almost certain the Government of Pakistan will not give him a visa to go to Pakistan. That could be what is preventing the Priest. Also the Priest would be right to be concerned for the safety of Javed and that of himself. In Islam, if a believer abandons his faith he will be executed and Priest who baptizes him is not going to be spared either.

He told me that he contacted a Priest from the Syriac Orthodox Church but was refused (according to him)because of the conflict between India and Pakistan.

1) Is Javed in Pakistan or is he in some foreign country? 2) Is the Syriac Orthodox Priest that he contacted based in India?3) Do you know if he is referring to a Syriac Orthodox Priest under the Patriarchate of Antioch or the Autocephalous Indian Orthodox Church, which also follows the Syriac liturgy and tradition?

If the Syriac Orthodox Priest is based in India, then I am almost certain the Government of Pakistan will not give him a visa to go to Pakistan. That could be what is preventing the Priest. Also the Priest would be right to be concerned for the safety of Javed and that of himself. In Islam, if a believer abandons his faith he will be executed and Priest who baptizes him is not going to be spared either.

Isnt he a catholic now?I think it will be Syriac orthodox Church,since i dont think our church has managed to reach Pakistan so fast

My advice: be careful in such situations. 9 times out of 10, the requests for money will commence soon. I have had that situation happen multiple times when being contacted by people from Pakistan, Africa, etc.

Do you mean that you, as a clergyman, were asked to give money to them ?

Yes, it happens all the time. At least once a month. And not a few dollars. Hundreds, thousands. For every possible reason.

He told me that he contacted a Priest from the Syriac Orthodox Church but was refused (according to him)because of the conflict between India and Pakistan.

1) Is Javed in Pakistan or is he in some foreign country? 2) Is the Syriac Orthodox Priest that he contacted based in India?3) Do you know if he is referring to a Syriac Orthodox Priest under the Patriarchate of Antioch or the Autocephalous Indian Orthodox Church, which also follows the Syriac liturgy and tradition?

If the Syriac Orthodox Priest is based in India, then I am almost certain the Government of Pakistan will not give him a visa to go to Pakistan. That could be what is preventing the Priest. Also the Priest would be right to be concerned for the safety of Javed and that of himself. In Islam, if a believer abandons his faith he will be executed and Priest who baptizes him is not going to be spared either.

Yes, thank you. I think this is indeed the situation. I apologize if I indicated that the Priest was refusing baptism because of prejudices. Javed does not write well in English, so it's a bit difficult sometimes to understand him.

Selam

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""Love is a dangerous thing. It will crush you if you trust it. But without it you can never be whole. Love crucifies, but love saves. We will either be saved together with love, or damned alone without it." Selam, +GMK+